Carp clinch on Bullington's win

NAGOYA, Japan - Madison's Bryan Bullington won his seventh straight decision Wednesday and in the process pitched the Hiroshima Carp into their first Nippon Professional Baseball postseason in 23 years with a 2-0 win over the Chunichi Dragons at the Nagoya Dome.

Bullington, a 1999 Madison graduate who was Indiana's Mr. Baseball that season, worked seven innings of four-hit, shutout baseball with three strikeouts and five walks on 97 pitches en route to the win.

Now 11-9 with a 3.23 ERA in 28 starts, Bullington improved to 7-0 in his last nine outings dating back to his most recent loss on July 30 to the Yokohama Bay Stars.

Bullington, a third-year pro in Japan after playing several seasons in the U.S. minor leagues with major league call-ups by Pittsburgh, Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City, has now pitched 172.2 innings on the season allowing 154 hits and 41 walks while striking out 117.

Bullington's 3.23 ERA is the eighth best in the Central League, his 28 starts is second best, and his innings pitched is third most.

The win clinched Hiroshima's first Climax Series playoff berth since 1990.